Univision Anchor Warns GOP: Pass Immigration Reform or Lose in 2016

Popular Hispanic news anchor Jorge Ramos warned Republicans that they will lose the next two presidential elections unless they pass sweeping immigration reform.

"Republicans don’t get it," he told Politico. "They’re going to lose the 2016 election if they don’t move on immigration reform, and they’re going to lose again in 2020.

"They have a very short memory. They forgot in 2012. They’ll remember after 2016."

Silver-haired Ramos, who has been dubbed the "Mexican Anderson Cooper," anchors Univision News, the most-watched Spanish-language news program in the United States, with more than 2 million viewers.

He’s also the host of an English-language broadcast on Fusion, the joint Univision-ABC News venture targeted at Hispanics and millennials. According to a survey, he’s the second most popular Hispanic in the United States behind Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Politico reported.

Ramos has been an outspoken advocate for immigration reform on his broadcasts, and has been pushing the comprehensive bill co-authored by the so-called "Gang of Eight," which was passed in the Senate last year.

The measures provided a pathway to citizenship for 11 million illegal immigrants. But House Republicans are strongly opposed to any bill that gives amnesty to illegal immigrants while they also accuse President Barack Obama of not enforcing existing immigration laws and are demanding stricter boarder security.

The anchor sought an interview with House Speaker John Boehner but was denied. Ramos traveled to Washington from Miami to confront the Ohio Republican at a press conference.

"Mr. Speaker, we came here to ask you why are you blocking immigration reform. It’s been almost a year since the Senate passed" the reform bill, Ramos asked Boehner, according to Politico.

Boehner quickly cut him off saying, "Me, blocking?" The speaker said he’s tried to raise immigration in the House for the past 18 months and that Congress needed to approach the issue "in a common-sense way."

When Boehner then attempted to tried to switch the conversation to Obamacare, Ramos interrupted him.

"Since when does Obamacare have anything to do with immigration reform?" Ramos said. "The Senate passed immigration reform almost a year ago, and you haven’t moved on that."

Boehner testily replied, "There’s nobody more interested in fixing this problem than I am."

Ramos responded, "You could bring it to a vote, and you haven’t. You can do it, Mr. Speaker. You can do it, and you really haven’t done it."

Ramos has also taken Obama to task on immigration, according to Politico.

While confronting the president last year, Ramos said Obama had failed to push through an immigration package. "You promised that, and a promise is a promise," Ramos told the president. "And with all due respect, you didn’t keep that promise."

Ramos told Politico that the Republicans and Democrats need Hispanic voters in the 2016 election, and warned that unless presidential candidates show their support for an immigration bill, they will be shunned by Latinos.

"Immigration reform is a prerequisite for the Hispanic community," he said. "Without that, nothing is going to happen. If you want to go to the White House, you have to knock on the door of Univision and Fusion before. Because otherwise, you won’t get there."